U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano speaks in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Air and Marine hangar in El Paso, Texas, on immigration and border security. (AP Photo/The El Paso Times, Mark Lambie)

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Napolitano: Deportation of Saudi national is a ‘rumor’

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano reacted with incredulous frustration at questions presuming the Saudi national who was detained following the Boston Marathon bombing is set to be deported.

“I am unaware of anyone who is being deported for national security concerns at all related to Boston. I don’t know where that rumor came from,” Napolitano said, when questioned by South Carolina Republican Rep. Jeff Duncan about reports of the Saudi national’s deportation during a House hearing Thursday.

When Duncan pressed Napolitano, she cut him off, with an angry grimace, saying that the report is another example why law enforcement should be left to do its job.

“Like I said, again I don’t even think he was technically a person of interest or a suspect, that was a wash. And I am unaware of any proceeding there, I will clarify that for you, but I think this is an example of why it is so important to let law enforcement to do its job,” Napolitano stressed.

Duncan followed up by requesting that Napolitano answer the question of deportation.

“I want them to do their job,” Duncan said. “And that is why I say, wouldn’t you agree with me that it is negligent for us, as an American administration, to deport someone who was reportedly at the scene of the bombing, and we are going to deport him, not to able to question him any more, is that not negligent?”

“I am not going to answer that question, it is so full of misstatements and misapprehensions, that it is just not worthy of an answer,” she said going on to add that “there has been so much reported on this that has been wrong, I can’t even begin to tell you, congressman.”

“We will provide you with accurate information as it becomes available,” she said.

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Duncan spokesman Allen Klump told The Daily Caller that the congressman’s questions regarding the possible deportation were based on reports Duncan had heard from the intelligence and Homeland Security community.

Wednesday evening, on Fox News’ Sean Hannity program, the Investigative Project on Terrorism executive director Steve Emerson reported that the Saudi national detained following the bombings and ruled out as a suspect, Abdul Rahman Ali Alharbi, would be deported due to “national security concerns” next Tuesday.